Objective Studies have found that the atypical
antipsychotic drug,
risperidone, reduces non-
cognitive symptoms, such as aggression, agitation, and
psychosis, in patients with
Alzheimer's disease. This study assessed whether these effects extend to patients with vascular or mixed-type
dementia. Methods In this multicentre, open-label, prospective study, 75 elderly patients with vascular or mixed-type
dementia and concomitant behavioural and psychological symptoms were treated with
risperidone for up to 6 months. Results
Risperidone decreased the frequency and severity of overall behavioural and psychological symptoms, as determined by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, to a mean total score of 7.2±0.7 at end-point compared with 21.0±1.5 at baseline (P<0.001).
Risperidone improved functional capacity (Blessed Dementia Rating Scale, Reisberg's Global Deterioration Scale) and depression (Cornell Scale for Depression in
Dementia). A total of four adverse events (5.3%) were spontaneously reported: two cases of
hypotension, one of
somnolence, and one of
paresthesia. Scores on the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersogeler extrapyramidal symptom subscale remained stable from baseline to end-point. Conclusion Overall, these findings indicate that
risperidone was effective in reducing behavioural and psychological symptoms and was well tolerated, particularly with respect to extrapyramidal symptoms, in this elderly population diagnosed with vascular or mixed-type
dementia.